波波小说

第2部分（第1页）

uite　asreasonable　to　form　a　sentimental　attachment　to　a　disarrangedchecker…board。　And　yet；　though　invariably　happiest　elsewhere；　there　iswithin　me　a　feeling　for　old　Salem；　which；　in　lack　of　a　betterphrase；　I　must　be　content　to　call　affection。　The　sentiment　is　probablyassignable　to　the　deep　and　aged　roots　which　my　family　has　struckinto　the　soil。　It　is　now　nearly　two　centuries　and　a　quarter　sincethe　original　Briton；　the　earliest　emigrant　of　my　name；　made　hisappearance　in　the　wild　and　forest…bordered　settlement；　which　has　sincebee　a　city。　And　here　his　descendants　have　been　born　and　died；　andhave　mingled　their　earthy　substance　with　the　soil；　until　no　smallportion　of　it　must　necessarily　be　akin　to　the　mortal　framewherewith；　for　a　little　while；　I　walk　the　streets。　In　part；　therefore；the　attachment　which　I　speak　of　is　the　mere　sensuous　sympathy　ofdust　for　dust。　Few　of　my　countrymen　can　know　what　it　is；　nor；　asfrequent　transplantation　is　perhaps　better　for　the　stock；　need　theyconsider　it　desirable　to　know。　　But　the　sentiment　has　likewise　its　moral　quality。　The　figure　of　thatfirst　ancestor；　invested　by　family　tradition　with　a　dim　and　duskygrandeur；　was　present　to　my　boyish　imagination；　as　far　back　as　I　canremember。　It　still　haunts　me；　and　induces　a　sort　of　home…feelingwith　the　past；　which　I　scarcely　claim　in　reference　to　the　presentphase　of　the　town。　I　seem　to　have　a　stronger　claim　to　a　residence　hereon　account　of　this　grave；　bearded；　sable…cloaked　and　steeple…crownedprogenitor…　who　came　so　early；　with　his　Bible　and　his　sword；　andtrod　the　unworn　street　with　such　a　stately　port；　and　made　so　large　afigure；　as　a　man　of　war　and　peace…　a　stronger　claim　than　for　myself；whose　name　is　seldom　heard　and　my　face　hardly　known。　He　was　a　soldier；legislator；　judge；　he　was　a　ruler　in　the　Church；　he　had　all　thePuritanic　traits；　both　good　and　evil。　He　was　likewise　a　bitterpersecutor；　as　embered　him　in　theirhistories；　and　relate　an　incident　of　his　hard　severity　towards　a　womanof　their　sect；　which　will　last　longer；　it　is　to　be　feared；　than　anyrecord　of　his　better　deeds；　although　these　were　many。　His　son；　too；inherited　the　persecuting　spirit；　and　made　himself　so　conspicuous　inthe　martyrdom　of　the　witches；　that　their　blood　may　fairly　be　said　tohave　left　a　stain　upon　him。　So　deep　a　stain；　indeed；　that　his　olddry　bones；　in　the　Charter　Street　burial…ground；　must　still　retainit；　if　they　have　not　crumbled　utterly　to　dust！　I　know　not　whetherthese　ancestors　of　mine　bethought　themselves　to　repent；　and　ask　pardonof　Heaven；　for　their　cruelties；　or　whether　they　are　now　groaning　underthe　heavy　consequences　of　them；　in　another　state　of　being。　At　allevents；　I；　the　present　writer；　as　their　representative；　hereby　takeshame　upon　myself　for　their　sakes；　and　pray　that　any　curse　incurred　bythem…　as　I　have　heard；　and　as　the　dreary　and　unprosperous　condition　ofthe　race；　for　many　a　long　year　back；　would　argue　to　exist…　may　benow　and　henceforth　removed。　　Doubtless；　however；　either　of　these　stern　and　black…browedPuritans　would　have　thought　it　quite　a　sufficient　retribution　forhis　sins；　that；　after　so　long　a　lapse　of　years；　the　old　trunk　of　thefamily　tree；　with　so　much　venerable　moss　upon　it；　should　have　borne；as　its　topmost　bough；　an　idler　like　myself。　No　aim；　that　I　have　evercherished；　would　they　recognise　as　laudable；　no　success　of　mine…　ifmy　life；　beyond　its　domestic　scope；　had　ever　been　brightened　bysuccess…　would　they　deem　otherwise　than　worthless；　if　not　positivelydisgraceful。　〃Where　is　he？〃　murmurs　one　grey　shadow　of　myforefathers　to　the　other。　〃A　writer　of　story…books！　What　kind　of　abusiness　in　life…　what　mode　of　glorifying　God；　or　being　serviceable　tomankind　in　his　day　and　generation…　may　that　be？　Why；　the　degeneratefellow　might　as　well　have　been　a　fiddler！〃　Such　are　the　plimentsbandied　between　my　great…grandsires　and　myself；　across　the　gulf　oftime！　And　yet；　let　them　scorn　me　as　they　will；　strong　traits　oftheir　nature　have　intertwined　themselves　with　mine。　　Planted　deep；　in　the　towns　earliest　infancy　and　childhood；　by　thesetwo　earnest　and　energetic　men；　the　race　has　ever　since　subsisted　here；always；　too；　in　respectability；　never；　so　far　as　I　have　known；disgraced　by　a　single　unworthy　member；　but　seldom　or　never；　on　theother　hand；　after　the　first　two　generations；　performing　anymemorable　deed；　or　so　much　as　putting　forward　a　claim　to　publicnotice。　Gradually；　they　have　sunk　almost　out　of　sight；　as　oldhouses；　here　and　there　about　the　streets；　get　covered　half…way　tothe　eaves　by　the　accumulation　of　new　soil。　From　father　to　son；　forabove　a　hundred　years；　they　followed　the　sea；　a　grey…headedshipmaster；　in　each　generation；　retiring　from　the　quarter…deck　tothe　homestead；　while　a　boy　of　fourteen　took　the　hereditary　placebefore　the　mast；　confronting　the　salt　spray　and　the　gale；　which　hadblustered　against　his　sire　and　grandsire。　The　boy；　also；　in　duetime；　passed　from　the　forecastle　to　the　cabin；　spent　a　tempestuousmanhood；　and　returned　from　his　world…wanderings；　to　grow　old；　and　die；and　mingle　his　dust　with　the　natal　earth。　This　long　connection　of　afamily　with　one　spot；　as　its　place　of　birth　and　burial；　creates　akindred　between　the　human　being　and　the　locality；　quite　independent　ofany　charm　in　the　scenery　or　moral　circumstances　that　surround　him。It　is　not　love；　but　instinct。　The　new　inhabitant…　who　came　himselffrom　a　foreign　land；　or　whose　father　or　grandfather　came…　has　littleclaim　to　be　called　a　Salemite；　he　has　no　conception　of　the　oyster…liketenacity　with　which　an　old　settler；　over　whom　his　third　century　iscreeping；　clings　to　the　spot　where　his　successive　generations　havebeen　imbedded。　It　is　no　matter　that　the　place　is　joyless　for　him；　thathe　is　weary　of　the　old　wooden　houses；　the　mud　and　dust；　the　dead　levelof　site　and　sentiment；　the　chill　east　wind；　and　the　chillest　of　socialatmospheres；　all　these；　and　whatever　faults　besides　he　may　see　orimagine；　are　nothing　to　the　purpose。　The　spell　survives；　and　just　aspowerfully　as　if　the　natal　spot　were　an　earthly　paradise。　So　has　itbeen　in　my　case。　I　felt　it　almost　as　a　destiny　to　make　Salem　myhome；　so　that　the　mould　of　features　and　cast　of　character　which　hadall　along　been　familiar　here…　ever；　as　one　representative　of　therace　lay　down　in　his　grave；　another　assuming；　as　it　were；　hissentry…march　along　the　main　street…　might　still　in　my　little　day　beseen　and　recognised　in　the　old　town。　Nevertheless；　this　very　sentimentis　an　evidence　that　the　connection；　which　has　bee　an　unhealthy　one；should　at　least　be　severed。　Human　nature　will　not　flourish；　any　morethan　a　potato；　if　it　be　planted　and　replanted；　for　too　long　a　seriesof　generations；　in　the　same　worn…out　soil。　My　children　have　hadother　birthplaces；　and；　so　far　as　their　fortunes　may　be　within　mycontrol；　shall　strike　their　roots　into　unaccustomed　earth。　　On　emerging　from　the　Old　Manse；　it　was　chiefly　this　strange；indolent；　unjoyous　attachment　for　my　native　town；　that　brought　me　tofill　a　place　in　Uncle　Sams　brick　edifice；　when　I　might　as　well；　orbetter；　have　gone　somewhere　else。　My　doom　was　on　me。　It　was　not　thefirst　time；　nor　the　second；　that　I　had　gone　away…　as　it　seemed；permanently…　but　yet　returned；　like　the　bad　halfpenny；　or　as　ifSalem　were　for　me　the　inevitable　centre　of　the　universe。　So；　onefine　morning；　I　ascended　the　flight　of　granite　steps；　with　thePresidents　mission　in　my　pocket；　and　was　introduced　to　the　corpsof　gentlemen　who　were　to　aid　me　in　my　weighty　responsibility；　as　chiefexecutive　officer　of　the　Custom…House。　　I　doubt　greatly…　or；　rather；　I　do　not　doubt　at　all…　whether　anypublic　functionary　of　the　United　States；　either　in　the　civil　ormilitary　line；　has　ever　had　such　a　patriarchal　body　of　veteransunder　his　orders　as　myself。　The　whereabouts　of　the　Oldest　Inhabitantwas　at　once　settled；　when　I　looked　at　them。　For　upwards　of　twentyyears　before　this　epoch；　the　independent　position　of　the　Collector　hadkept　the　Salem　Custom…House　out　of　the　whirlpool　of　politicalvicissitude；　which　makes　the　tenure　of　office　generally　so　fragile。A　soldier…　New　Englands　most　distinguished　soldier…　he　stood　firmlyon　the　pedestal　of　his　gallant　services；　and；　himself　secure　in　thewise　liberality　of　the　successive　administrations　through　which　he　hadheld　office；　he　had　been　the　safety　of　his　subordinates　in　many　anhour　of　danger　and　heartquake。　General　Miller　was　radicallyconservative；　a　man　over　whose　kindly　nature　habit　had　no　slightinfluence；　attaching　himself　strongly　to　familiar　faces；　and　withdifficulty　moved　to　change；　even　when　change　might　have　broughtunquestionable　improvement。　Thus；　on　taking　charge　of　my　department；　Ifound　few　but　aged　men。　They　were　ancient　sea…captains；　for　the　mostpart；　who；　after　being　tossed　on　every　sea；　and　standing　up　sturdilyagainst　lifes　tempestuous　blast；　had　finally　drifted　into　thisquiet　nook；　where；　with　little　to　disturb　them；　except　theperiodical　terrors　of　a　Presidential　election；　they　one　and　allacquired　a　new　lease　of　existence。　Though　by　no　means　less　liable　thantheir　fellow…men　to　age　and　infirmity；　they　had　evidently　sometalisman　or　other　that　kept　death　at　bay。　Two　or　three　of　theirnumber；　as　I　was　assured；　being　gouty　and　rheumatic；　or　perhapsbed…ridden；　never　dreamed　of　making　their　appearance　at　theCustom…House　during　a　large　part　of　the　year；　but；　after　a　torpidwinter；　would　creep　out　into　the　warm　sunshine　of　May　or　June；　golazily　about　what　they　termed　duty；　and；　at　their　own　leisure　andconvenience；　betake　themselves　to　bed　again。　I　must　plead　guilty　tothe　charge　of　abbreviating　the　official　breath　of　more　than　one　ofthese　venerable　servants　of　the　republic。　They　were　allowed；　on　myrepresentation；　to　rest　from　their　arduous　labours；　and　soonafterwards…　as　if　their　sole　principle　of　life　had　been　zeal　for　theircountrys　service；　as　I　verily　believe　it　was…　withdrew　to　a　betterworld。　It　is　a　pious　consolation　to　me；　that；　through　my　interference；a　sufficient　space　was　allowed　them　for　repentance　of　the　evil　andcorrupt　practices；　into　which；　as　a　matter　of　course；　everyCustom…House　officer　must　be　supposed　to　fall。　Neither　the　front　northe　back　entrance　of　the　Custom…House　opens　on　the　road　to　Paradise。　　The　greater　part　of　my　officers　were　Whigs。　It　was　well　for　theirvenerable　brotherhood　that　the　new　Surveyor　was　not　a　politician；　and；though　a　faithful　Democrat　in　principle；　neither　received　nor　held　hisoffice　with　any　reference　to　political　services。　Had　it　beenotherwise…　had　an　active　politician　been　put　into　this　influentialpost；　to　assume　the　easy　task　of　making　head　against　a　Whig　Collector；whose　infirmities　withheld　him　from　the　personal　administration　of　hisoffice…　hardly　a　man　of　the　old　corps　would　have　drawn　the　breath　ofofficial　life　within　a　month　after　the　exterminating　angel　had　e　upthe　Custom…House　steps。　According　to　the　received　code　in　suchmatters；　it　would　have　been　nothing　short　of　duty；　in　a　politician；　tobring　every　one　of　those　white　heads　under　the　axe　of　theguillotine。　It　was　plain　enough　to　discern；　that　the　old　fellowsdreaded　some　such　discourtesy　at　my　hands。　It　pained；　and　at　thesame　time　amused　me；　to　behold　the　terrors　that　attended　my　advent；　tosee　a　furrowed　cheek；　weather…beaten　by　half　a　century　of　storm；turn　ashy　pale　at　the　glance　of　so　harmless　an　individual　as　myself；to　detect；　as　one　or　another　addressed　me；　the　tremor　of　a　vo

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